The employment assistance programme "De Flo" is a socio-educational work and employment enterprise recognised by the Rhineland Regional Council and is part of the homeless assistance programme. It offers temporary employment programmes for people who are fit for work and not fully incapacitated, but whose particular circumstances – whether alcohol or drug addiction, physical or mental impairments – are accompanied by special social difficulties. The organisation's headquarters on Florastraße in Cologne-Nippes, with its post-war architecture, was in need of renovation. In a selection process, the Cologne-based architectural firm Kastner Pichler Schorn Architekten was commissioned to renovate and convert the main building. In the process, the facility was fundamentally restructured and urban regeneration was carried out.

The De Flo site has been transformed into an accessible residential complex, featuring three shared houses with 17 single rooms and 20 apartments for independent living. To maximize community engagement and foster stronger integration between residents and the surrounding neighborhood, the facility now includes a gathering space and café—a groundbreaking addition to Cologne's approach to housing for the homeless. Complementing this are the facility's existing retail shops, now positioned alongside the café on the street-facing ground floor, with single-story workshops behind the main building.

The existing building structure was converted and extended in such a way that the building now blends into its urban surroundings for the first time. The flexible reinforced concrete skeleton, which was clad with cost-effective single-shell masonry made of load-bearing insulating bricks, harmoniously matches the height of the neighbouring buildings and closes off the block from the street. The diversity of uses is reflected in the staggered structure of the building and the striking design of the façade: the small-scale, differentiated colour scheme of the windows and the plaster façade combines the various components and uses into a coherent overall concept. The reduction in size of the depot as a result of the construction work is compensated for by spacious, intensively greened terraces that have been created on the flat roofs of the building. They serve as a communal meeting place and leisure area for all residents – with a beautiful view of the cathedral. Both the custom-made residential furniture and all the painting work were carried out by the facility's own workshops. The shop and café furnishings come from the facility's own furniture recycling stock.

www.kastnerpichler.de

Photography:
Mia Ter Horst

(Published in CUBE Cologne Bonn 04|24)